I’m thrilled to welcome you to Weill Cornell Medicine’s fourth annual Diversity Week!
This year’s celebration brings together an exciting group of physicians, scientists, educators, policymakers, advocates, and community members who are all committed to greater equity, diversity, and inclusion within academic medicine and healthcare. We hope you take advantage of the hybrid format and are able to participate in some of the many activities taking place throughout the week. Many thanks go to all who helped organize this year’s outstanding events!
We especially encourage you to attend our two keynote addresses:
Diversity Week reflects our shared commitment to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for our diverse community of patients, students, faculty, and staff. At all levels of our organization, we strive to make Weill Cornell Medicine a place where all individuals can thrive and feel like they belong – every day of the year.
I am proud of the progress we are making and look forward to continuing to work with all of you to achieve meaningful change together. Thank you for everything you do to help us make Weill Cornell Medicine a better place to care, discover and teach.
Sincerely,
Augustine M.K. Choi, MD
Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean
Weill Cornell Medicine
Provost for Medical Affairs
Cornell University
On behalf of the Weill Cornell Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion, we are pleased to welcome you to the fourth Annual Diversity Week. As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion and our vision to create a community where everyone can belong and thrive, this year's diversity week offers a range of events open to everyone across WCM. We have organized a full program of virtual, in person and hybrid events, giving our community the opportunity to connect with colleagues from different backgrounds and share their experiences. From two keynote lectures, Diversity Grand Round talks from experts in their fields, to conversations and action on topical issues, our thought-provoking sessions are organized in response to the suggestions we received from our WCM community.
As a prelude to the Diversity Week events, we are excited to share the New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett will be presenting on Reflections on Racial/Ethnic Disparities and COVID-19.
In addition, winners of the Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards, Pioneers in Diversity Awards, and the Jessica M. and Natan Bibliowicz Award for Excellence in Mentoring Women Faculty and members of our community that have been recognized nationally will be honored during an evening celebration of diversity.
Once again it is important to note that the Dean’s Diversity Week is made possible by the unwavering support of our academic leaders starting with the Cornell University Office of the President, the Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Fellows, the Dean’s Office, and the numerous departmental/divisional heads across our institution for whom this week represents an opportunity to affirm their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
We invite all to attend our events and engage in discussions that bring new perspectives, and celebrate the contributions made by people of all identities and experiences.
With warm regards,
Executive Committee on Diversity and Inclusion
James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD
Clinical Professor of Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Chief Medical Officer, Healing Our Village, Inc.
James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD is clinical professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer of Healing Our Village, Inc. He served as President and CEO of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, was a senior scientific officer at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Before joining HHMI, he was chief of the Diabetes Section, and William K. Warren Professor for Diabetes Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He is a past president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and belongs to many organizations, including the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and the American Association of Physicians. He is a Trustee Emeritus for Emory University, serves on the Trustee board at Livingstone College, and is Chair Emeritus of the Board for the Partnership for a Healthier America. He serves on the board of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES). He is past national program director of the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program of the RWJF (1993-2013). He was named a “Living Legend in Diabetes” by AADE in 2009, received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Diabetes Research from ADA in 2015, a lifetime Meritorious Achievement Award from the National Medical Association, and is the 2021 recipient of the Laureate Mentor of the Year Award from the Endocrine Society. He has published more than 250 articles and abstracts and three books. He received a BS in Chemistry from Livingstone College, a PhD in Biochemistry from Emory University, and his MD from Duke University
Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS
Dean, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Vice President for Health Sciences, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Leslie H. and Abigail S. Wexner Dean’s Chair in Medicine
Professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
An internationally recognized head and neck cancer surgeon scientist and leader in academic medicine, Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, is the dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, vice president for Health Sciences of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the Leslie H. and Abigail S. Wexner Dean’s Chair in Medicine and a professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Bradford specializes in head and neck cancer surgery, focusing her research on identifying and evaluating biomarkers that can predict outcomes. She also pioneered the use of sentinel lymph node biopsy as a safe and reliable tool to stage patients with melanoma of the head and neck. She has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and authored more than 20 book chapters.
Her many awards include a Clinical Excellence Award from Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Awards in 2009 and the Women in Otolaryngology Helen F. Krause Memorial Trailblazer Award in 2019. In 2012, she was inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. She was elected as the first woman president of the American Head and Neck Society in 2012, and received a Presidential Citation from this society in 2021. She was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2021.
In 2020, she became the president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery for a one-year term. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Head and Neck Society, Triological Society and American Laryngological Association.
The 2022 recipients of awards honoring exceptional contributions to diversity at Weill Cornell Medicine will be recognized at the:
Diversity Awards Ceremony and Reception
Monday, April 25
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM l Zoom
This year’s recipients will be formally announced will be formally announced at the Celebration of Diversity ceremony.
Follow @WeillCornell, use #WCMDiversityWeek
and tweet about what sessions you will be attending, who you are excited to see and what you learn.
Elizabeth Omondi
elo2010@med.cornell.edu
https://diversity.weill.cornell.edu
